Urgent appeal to rough sleepers: "Please come in"
Cardiff Council is urgently appealing to individuals in the city who sleep on the streets to come in and use the wide range of services available.
With sub-zero temperatures set to plummet even further later this week and snow forecast for the Cardiff area, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne is issuing another plea to rough sleepers in the city not to spend another night outside.
Cllr Thorne said: "It's already bitterly cold in the city and the weather is set to get even worse later in the week. There's no need for people to have to sleep rough in Cardiff when they is so much provision available to help.
"I'm asking rough sleepers to come into our services. We have warm, safe and dry accommodation available and waiting for you. Sleeping on the street is extremely damaging to a person's health and wellbeing so please, come in and let us help and care for you.
"Members of the public will of course share our worries about those they see on the streets during this cold weather. I want them to know too that we are here to help and they can let us know about someone who is sleeping rough so we can engage with them."
Like most UK cities, Cardiff has seen an increase in the number of people sleeping on the streets rise in recent years. The authority is committed to working with partners to tackling rough sleeping in the city.
We work with homeless charities such as Huggard, the Salvation Army, Wallich and the YMCA to provide hostel accommodation, the breakfast run, a day centre for the homeless, and a night bus service.
A wide range of accommodation is available with216 hostel places for single homeless people, 45 emergency beds,and 390 supported accommodation units.During the winter, there are additional emergency bed spaces -an extra 86 spaces this year- more than ever before.
Cllr Thorne continued: "Our emergency bed provision has had availability throughout the winter - as much as 90 spaces earlier this week - which just goes to show that the complex issues surrounding rough sleeping are much more complicated than providing a roof over someone's head for the night.
"That's why we have services to help people to begin the journey off the streets and towards turning their lives around. On a daily basis, individuals can access awide range of holistic services including medical help and other support services as well as the accommodation services.
"We're working very hard to tackle street homelessness in Cardiff. We're committed to working with individuals to support them to access these services and have helped 175 people off the street and into accommodation since April last year.
"Sadly though, many rough sleepers choose not to access accommodation and prefer to bed down on the streets at night. Our outreach team works closely with these individuals, and those who are at risk of sleeping rough,seven days a week both during the day and into the evening. Theyknow them personally and are dedicated to doing everything they can to encourage them to engage with services.
"But staying out on the street for an extended period of time can have a devastating effect on a person.The average life expectancy of a rough sleeper is just 47-years-old - that's an alarming fact and why we so desperately want to help these vulnerable people to rebuild their lives.
"So I'm sending a message to all those men and women on the streets right now. Please come in from the cold. We are here and ready to help and support you."
To find out more about homelessness services in Cardiff, please visit:https://www.cardiffnewsroom.co.uk/releases/c/17887.html
To report someone who is sleeping rough, please contactroughsleeping@cardiff.gov.uk